New role, new respect for Shank

Friday

Michael Shank Racing rolls to the starting Rolex 24 starting grid with the knowledge, determination and respect of a winner.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Last February, within a few weeks after his team won the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Michael Shank wandered into the IndyCar world and visited a team owners meeting in Indianapolis.

When he walked into the conference room, he finally came to grips with what he'd accomplished the previous month in Daytona Beach.

“When I walked into the IndyCar owners meeting, immediately I was accepted and regarded as someone whose team could do a good job,” said Shank, who eventually decided against returning to his open-wheel roots. “Immediately, no one questioned us being there. They knew we were capable.”

Through nearly a decade of bringing cars and teams to Daytona for the 24-hour race, Shank grew to assume he was capable of fielding a winning effort in North America's most grueling motorsports event.

Then he actually did it, defeating the heavyweights in last year's 50th anniversary version of the Rolex. It would be the team's only win of last season, but like the Daytona 500, the Speedway's endurance race is a season-maker. It's also the ultimate reputation builder.

“It's just the best feeling,” Shank said. “Coming through the tunnel, thinking about what this place has done for us . . . The win really did kinda change my life. It changed our life as a race team. It got us . . . more than anything, it got us respect. I always felt like we never got what we deserved.

“I know we've got good people here; we just never quite put it all together. But I knew we had a solid base, and the win just kinda helps with the respect side. I don't know what that means, but from my side the respect part was the most important.”

That newfound respect not only stretched from here to that Indianapolis owners meeting, but across the state line to Shank Racing's hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

“We've got a lot of local media following us now, so people do recognize us a bit more locally,” said Shank. “It's a neat deal. And it's all, again, because of this race.”

Among those who took notice of Shank Racing's status update was Troy Flis, who owns the Spirit of Daytona team, an organization comparable to Shank's outfit. Watching a non-marquee team win the marquee event is obviously evidence of what's available to the other non-marquee groups.

“It was great for Mike Shank. If it's someone other than us to win it, I'd love to see him win it again,” said Flis. “His team is very similar to my team -- great team and great bunch of people over there. It gives you that drive that you know you can do it. And we know we can do it.”

But for teams like Shank and Spirit, the margin of error is rather thin.

“You have to make sure you have everything covered,” said Flis. “Being a small team, you can leave a couple of rocks unturned and that's what gets you. You just work and work and work at it. Every year we get stronger, but so does everyone else.”

Grand-Am's competition model is designed for parity. There's plenty of in-house griping among the teams, particularly around the inspection garage, but once emotions cool, the “little guy” knows he at least has a chance, which is something the “little guy” can't say in all forms of auto racing.

And that, Shank says, was the driving force behind his move from IndyCar's minor leagues to sports-car racing a decade ago.

“I can go to the top-tier series and compete for wins,” he said. “I can come in here and potentially beat Ganassi, beat Penske, beat big teams. You can't do that anywhere else in the world. But here, we're all kinda on the same boat, and we compete for wins.”

For what it's worth, Shank fully expects to put forth a commendable defense of his Rolex win once things get started this afternoon.

“I have a book of notes we've developed over 10 years of doing this,” he said. “We pound that in until the drivers can't take it anymore. But literally, if the drivers follow it and the cars don't break, we'll be on the podium.”

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.